ENG 321: English Novel (Defoe to Austen)
MWF 9:00-9:50 a.m.
Fall 2013
CRN 17260
Hall
112 Lillis
Instructor: Dr. Kathleen O’Fallon
Office: 256 PLC
Hours: MW 2:00-3:30 p.m.
and by appointment
Phone: 346-0994
Email: [email protected]
Course Description:
The 18th century ushered in a new form of literature
in England: the novel. Novels took various forms,
including the epistolary novel, the picaresque novel,
the gothic novel, and the novel of manners. As we
study examples of these novels by some of the most
influential authors of the day, we will discuss how the
culture of the time shaped the literature, and we will
tackle the problem of creating a working definition for
a genre that—from its very beginnings—was anticonventional and diverse.
Required Texts:
Defoe, Daniel
Robinson Crusoe (1719) Broadview
Ed.*
Sterne, Laurence
The Life and Opinions of Tristram
Shandy (1759-67)
Burney, Fanny
Evelina (1778)
Lewis, Matthew
The Monk (1796) Broadview Ed.*
Austen, Jane
Persuasion (1818)
*Please be sure to purchase these critical editions
because we will be using the supplemental materials.
Written Assignments
No exams are required in this class. Instead, you
will be writing a series of one-page letters on all
novels and short (3-4 page MAX!) essays on three of the
five required novels, and they will be due as indicated
on the schedule. Because letters will form the basis
of group discussion on those days, and you will be
expected to come prepared to read them aloud, you
should write to provoke discussion. Every student will
read aloud at each group meeting.
All essays must be narrowly focused, and ample
direct textual evidence must be offered in support of
all assertions. [Translation: You must quote directly
from the novel!] Topics should grow out of letters and
subsequent discussion of those letters.
Epistle [Letter] Writing Assignment
Purposes of the assignment:
1. To begin the process of articulating your
thoughts about each reading.
2. To provoke class discussion.
3. To enhance understanding of the epistolary
novel.
4. To practice the process of taking an
argumentative stance and supporting it.
5. To provide the basis for 3-4 page essays on
three of the assigned novels.
Requirements:
On the days indicated on the course schedule, bring
a one-page (may be single-spaced) letter addressed to a
character in the assigned novel or directly to your
classmates.
Each letter should address a single issue from the
reading that you find provocative and want to pursue in
class discussion. DO NOT just summarize what the
author says—express your response to what you’ve read.
Be specific about why you react the way you do. The
letter must show that you have read the assignment
carefully and should express a clear position in
relation to a character’s actions or to the author’s
ideas and/or methods.
One copy of these letters must be provided for the
instructor. Students will keep a second copy to read
aloud in class in designated groups. LETTERS WILL ONLY
BE ACCEPTED DURING CLASS ON THE DAY THEY ARE DUE.
THEY CANNOT BE TURNED IN LATE. If you know you will be
absent on the day a letter is due, you must see that
one copy gets to the instructor and copies get to each
member of your discussion group.
These letters become part of an ongoing
conversation among the authors of the works we examine,
you, your classmates, and the instructor. On the day
letters are due, you will meet with an assigned
discussion group. All members of the group will read
letters aloud, and then the group will discuss them.
At the end of the class, groups will choose one letter
to represent its ideas. At the beginning of the next
class session, someone will read that letter aloud to
the whole class and summarize the response it provoked.
If it sparked disagreement, discuss the different
positions group members held. It is important that you
have better reasons for choosing a letter than just
“liking” it or thinking it is “good.”
Letters are not graded for content or skillful
execution (but don’t forget that your work is going to
be read by all your classmates). You will be given a
summary grade based solely on how many letters you turn
in, provided that each clearly demonstrates that you
completed the reading assignment. I reserve the right
to withhold credit from letters that say nothing or
that waste space whining about the assignment itself,
but if you turn in every letter and take the project
seriously, you will receive an “A” which will be
equivalent to the grade on one formal essay.
Three of these letters will form the basis for 3-4
page essays on the assigned novels. You may choose to
write on any three of the five novels, but essays are
due as indicated on the course schedule. Once a due
date for a particular novel has passed, you cannot turn
in an essay on that novel, so carefully plan which ones
you will write about and give yourself sufficient time
to compose a draft and revise it. I encourage you to
bring drafts to my office hours so we can work on them
together, but please do not email drafts and expect me
to edit them for you.
Schedule of Assignments:
Week One: September 30-October 4
M
W
F
Introductions
Lecture: The origins of the novel in England
Robinson Crusoe Introduction and pp. 47-134
Week Two: October 7-11
M
Robinson Crusoe pp. 135-222 and Appendix H
W
Robinson Crusoe pp. 223-304; Letters due; Small
group discussion
F
Group reports on letter discussion
Week Three: October 14-18
M
W
F
Appendix D
Essay on Robinson Crusoe DUE
Background on the epistolary novel
Evelina Letters 1-21
Week Four: October 21-25
M
Evelina Letters 22-43
W
Evelina Letters 44-65
F
Evelina Letters 66-84; Letters due; Small group
discussion
Week Five: October 28-November 1
M
W
F
Group reports on letter discussion
Essay on Evelina DUE
Background on the picaresque novel and metafiction
Tristram Shandy Vol. I
Week Six: November 4-8
M
W
F
Tristram Shandy Vols. II, III
Tristram Shandy Vols. IV, V
Tristram Shandy Vols. VI, VII
Week Seven: November 11-15
M
Tristram Shandy Vols. VIII, IX; Letters due; Small
group discussion
W
Group reports on letter discussion
F
The Monk Introduction and Vol. I
Week Eight: November 18-22
M
The Monk Vol. II
Essay on Tristram Shandy DUE;
W
The Monk Vol. III; Letters due; Small group
discussion
F
Group reports on letter discussion
Appendices A and B
Week Nine: November 25-29
M
W
F
Persuasion Chapters 1-8
Background on the novel of manners
Reading Day
Essay on The Monk DUE
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Week Ten: December 2-6
M
Persuasion Chapters 9-17
W
Persuasion Chapters 18-24; Letters due; Small group
discussion
F
Group reports on letter discussion
Final Exam Period: Monday, December 18 10:15-12:15
PAPERS on Persuasion DUE
Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:
All work submitted in this course must be your own and must
be written exclusively for this course. The use of sources
(ideas, quotations, and paraphrases) must be properly
documented.
Refer to the summary of the Code of Student Conduct
in the Schedule of Classes. In cases where plagiarism has been
clearly established, the award of an F for the final course
grade is my standard practice. It is simple to discover if a
paper has been “borrowed” from the internet, so don’t
underestimate my ability to spot plagiarism. Please talk to me
if you have any questions about your use of sources before you
turn in something that might be questionable.
Policy on Late Papers and Make-up Exams:
If exigent circumstances cause problems with the due date
for the essays, you must discuss this with me BEFORE the
deadline so that arrangements can be made. Late work which is
not cleared with the instructor prior to the due date will not
be accepted.
Policy on Disabilities:
Students with physical or learning disabilities should
consult the instructor as soon as possible so accommodations can
be made.
Grades:
Each of the following requirements has weight in determining
your grade:
 3 Essays (60%)
 5 Letters (20%)
 Attendance and Participation (20%)
Note: This grade includes reading letters aloud
When final grades are posted, it is too late to ask for
help or to improve your work. If you are struggling, come
to office hours for assistance.
Attendance and Participation:
Students are expected to be in class, on time, having read
the materials assigned for that day and having done any required
writing. Assignments are due when class begins.
Attendance will be taken every day. It is your
responsibility to sign in on the attendance sheet for yourself
only. More than three absences will result in a one-half grade
penalty in the final course grade. Attending class is a choice
you have to make on your own, and that means you have to accept
the consequences of that choice.
I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences,
except in two cases:
1. Illness so severe and prolonged that a doctor
officially excuses you.
2. You are involved in a university-sanctioned activity.
Written proof of these excuses is required, but there is no need
to explain your reasons for other absences. Emailing me that
you are going to miss does not excuse you from class.
If you know you are going to miss a class, make advance
arrangements with me to turn in any work that is due and/or to
pick up handouts. Ask a classmate to catch you up on discussion
that you will miss.
If you have an unplanned absence, see me as soon as you
return to pick up missed handouts, and ask a classmate for any
missed notes. If you have questions about material discussed
while you were gone, come to my office hours. We will have
carried on in your absence, so please don’t be arrogant enough
to ask if you missed anything. Of course, you did.
STUDENTS MUST ALWAYS BRING TEXTS TO CLASS WHEN THEY ARE
BEING DISCUSSED. WHEN LETTERS ARE ASSIGNED TO BE READ ALOUD,
STUDENTS MUST BRING THEM TO CLASS. IT SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING
THAT WRITING IMPLEMENTS ARE ALSO REQUIRED.
Students are expected to contribute significantly to
discussion, and to do so in a way that shows respect for
classmates. Listening carefully is as important as speaking
thoughtfully, so please do not interrupt or wave your hand
insistently while someone else is speaking. All ideas are
welcome in this class, but they should be backed up by evidence
from the texts.
To be fully present in the class, you must be focused on
the reading and the discussion at hand. THEREFORE, please turn
off and put away all electronic devices before class begins.
Please do not leave the room during class unless you have an
emergency.